How College Basketball Teams Gain Popularity

College Basketball support runs from coast to coast in the states. The amateurism of the sport is quickly fading, but banning the one-and-done rule that forced the top high school prospects to play a year of college has been great for the game’s growth.

Players would pick their schools like many fans to make their college basketball picks each March for the NCAA tournament. They would choose the blue blood programs that are consistent winners. But those teams had to get good at some point.

Similarly, the UCLA Bruins were once the dominant team in the sport, winning 11 national championships under famous coach John Wooden. But that generation of fans is much older, and UCLA was an afterthought to most college basketball fans until late under the direction of Mick Cronin.

Fandom for the Kentucky Wildcats has been developed by state pride and decades of success from Adolph Rupp to present-day John Calipari. Many programs can quickly catch lightning in a bottle and become a fan favorite.

That’s not true of the North Carolina Tar Heels, who had great success under Dean Smith and seemingly have been a top program ever since, with Roy Williams steadying the ship.

But there is a common theme among the top programs in the country.

Coaching Continuity

One thing is certain: programs that have coaches stay and build a program have benefited. Duke was under the direction of Mike Krzyzewski from 1980 to 2022. He made the Blue Devils into a perennial Atlantic Coast Conference contender and a Final Four threat. He was great at finding and developing talent but adjusted with the times when top high schoolers would go pro after their one season.

Jim Boeheim has had great success at Syracuse, winning many games but not necessarily championships. At Syracuse, his teams have deployed a patented 2-3 zone with big on-ball pressure, which many groups have struggled with over the years.

Attracting New Blood

Three schools have developed into powerhouses over the past two decades. Gonzaga has retained Mark Few, a great leader who built up the Bulldogs early with international and developing talent. His teams have dominated the West Coast Conference and can play with the best programs in the country in the nonconference.

However, the consistent winning has allowed Few to attract top high school players to Washington state to play at Gonzaga. He can promise a few things: many wins, great travel, and championship opportunities.

Jay Wright, a longtime coach at Villanova, recently retired. He was one of the best teachers of the game, and his teams methodically beat some of the country’s best programs, including a national championship. The Wildcats were not in one of the top five conferences but at the top of the next tier and were able to compete in some of the best events.

Baylor was essentially on the death penalty. Scott Drew led them out of turmoil, building the program into a consistent winner and producing professional talent, culminating in a national championship. It was one of the best coaching turnarounds in the sport’s history and created a new wave of fans.

Financial Backing

One of the best ways to build up a fan base is with alumni. It’s a common melting point for class reunions and the easiest way for those who shared academic interests at one point. Those who attend school will support themselves, no matter how big or small, through sports.

But there is also great pressure on college athletics to support the athletes. The development of name, image, and likeness allows everyone to participate in their slice of the pie. Paying athletes above the table is possible and could be the meal ticket for the next wave of star programs to develop. Now, it can’t fully pay to play as athletes have to contribute to earning their funds, but small programs with big donors could find themselves getting the talent they wouldn’t otherwise have.